The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Vinegar which is distilled this way, is of the same nature, as that which is distilled in close vessels.

But honey and sugar that are distilled after this manner, are a little altered, and acquire other vertues: but how they shall be distilled without the loss of their volatile spirit shall be taught in the second Part. Also after this manner may all liquid things being drunk up by living coals be distilled.

Of the use of distilled vinegar many things might be said, but because the Books of all the Chymists treat abundantly thereof, I account it needless to repeat what they have writ. Yet this is worth taking notice of, that the sharpest vinegar hath a great affinity with some metals, which may be extracted by the help thereof; also dissolved, and reduced into medicaments; yea, many things may be made with the help thereof, as the books of all the Chymists testify.

But there is yet another vinegar, of which there is often mention made in the books of Philosophers, by the help whereof, many wonderful things are performed in the solution of metals, the name whereof the ancients have been silent in; of which I do not here treat, because it cannot be made by this furnace; but I shall treat of it in another part; yet so that I incur not the Curse of the Philosophers.

How spirits may be made out of the salt of tartar, vitriolated tartar, the spirit of salt tartarizated, and of other such like fixed salts.

As many Chymists as there hath been, almost all have been of the opinion that a spirit cannot be drawn out of salt of tartar, and other fixed salts. For experience hath taught that by retort little or no spirit can be drawn from thence, as I had often experience of before the invention of this furnace: the reason of which thing was the admixtion of sand, earth, bole, pouder of tiles, &c. for to prevent the flowing of the salt of tartar, being by this means dispersed. But this is done through the ignorance of Authors, who have been ignorant of the properties of salt of tartar. For a stony matter, as sand, flint, bole, &c. being mixed with salt of tartar, feeling the heat of the fire, and being made red with the same, is joyned to it most closely, so as no spirit can be drawn from thence, but become a most hard stone. For sand, and such things that are like to it, have so great an affinity with the salt of tartar, that being once united can scarce ever be separated. Yet it may be made by Art by the addition of pure sand, or flint, because the whole substance of the salt of tartar may be turned into a spirit in the space of one or two hours, as shall be taught in the second part, and it excells all other medicaments in vertue, in curing the stone, and gout. And if by the regiment of art there be left any Caput Mortuum in the distillation, it hath, being dissolved in the air, a power to putrify metals being prepared, and mixed with it, in the space of few hours, so as to make them become black, and to grow up like trees with their roots, trunks, and boughs, which by how much the longer they are so left, become the better. Of calx of lead being subtilized, and of salt of tartar may be made a spiritus gradatorius of wonderful vertues as well in Medicine as Alchymy. There is made of the Caput Mortuum, per deliquium a green liquor which doth wonderful things; whence it is proved, That Saturn is not the lowest of the Planets; enough to the wise.

And so is the Lac Virginis, and the Philosophical Sanguis Draconis made.

Sometimes there is found a certain earth, or bole, which hath no affinity with tartar, which being mixed with salt of tartar yields a spirit, but very little. But in this furnace may all fixed things be elevated, because the species not being included in it, but dispersed, being cast upon the fire, are from the fire elevated through the aire, and are being refrigerated in the recipients again condensed, which cannot be so well done by a close retort.

He therefore that will make the spirit of the salt of tartar, need do nothing else than to call the calcined tartar into the fire, and it will wholly come over in a spirit: but then there are required glass recipients, because those that are earthen cannot retain it.

And this is the way whereby most fixed salts are distilled into a spirit by the first furnace. In the second furnace (viz. in the furnace of the second Part) it may be done better, and easier, where together with the preparation shall be taught the use thereof.